The Professional Darts Corporation has confirmed that Bristolian, Dom Taylor has been banned from all PDC events, with his World Darts Championship prize money wiped from the records, following a failed drugs test.
The ruling, enforced by the Darts Regulation Authority, brings a sudden and sobering halt to what had momentarily appeared to be a breakthrough run on the sport’s biggest stage.
Just days earlier, Taylor had stood beneath the chandeliers of Alexandra Palace, dispatching Oskar Lukasiak 3–0 in the opening round. It should have been the launchpad. Instead, it became the high-water mark before the tide rushed violently out.
In mid-December, the DRA confirmed it had been alerted to an “adverse analytical finding” stemming from a test carried out on December 14th. That notification triggered an immediate suspension, and Taylor was removed from the remainder of the World Championship. Random testing is routine at Alexandra Palace. This time, it proved decisive.
The consequences have been severe. Taylor’s £25,000 prize money – boosted by the increased World Championship pot – has been clawed back, and the PDC Order of Merit recalculated. The numbers are unforgiving. He now sits 68th in the rankings, outside the crucial top 64 and, with it, outside the safety of a one-year PDC Tour Card.
This is not Taylor’s first brush with sanction. Earlier in the year, he served a one-month ban after failing a drugs test at the Players Championship Finals in November 2024. That punishment had been significantly reduced from a potential two-year suspension after Taylor agreed to and completed a UKAD-approved three-month Substance of Abuse treatment programme. This latest development, however, leaves little room for mitigation.
The DRA’s position was laid out clearly in an official statement:
“On 19 December, the DRA was notified of an adverse analytical finding in respect of the player Dom Taylor resulting from a test conducted on 14 December. As a result of this and in line with relevant DRA processes, Dom Taylor has been suspended from participating in any DRA regulated events with immediate effect.
“This matter will now be the subject of a disciplinary process in line with the relevant DRA Anti-Doping Rules.The DRA will not be making any further comment pending the outcome of this confidential process.”
In the aftermath, Taylor addressed the situation publicly, issuing a lengthy apology on social media. His words were raw, remorseful and unfiltered:
“The first thing I need to say is sorry. Sorry to every single one of my family, friends, sponsors, management team and most important of all, you guys, all my fans be it outside of darts or inside of darts, the game/sport I love the most.
“Also I need to apologise for blatant lying to you all in my interview after my win against Oskar last week, as I have been lying to myself and everyone else around me. I did complete and finish the course that I was required to do at the end of last/beginning of this year, along with everything else I was required to do and sanctions.”
He also cited personal trauma and confirmed he would be “getting the help I need.”
The contrast is stark. Only days earlier, after his first-round win, Taylor had been asked about his previous ban. His response now echoes with painful irony:
“Biggest let-down of my life. But I’ve rebounded back, and here we are.”
Now, the rebound has collapsed beneath him.
What happens next will be determined away from the oche, behind closed doors, through a confidential disciplinary process. For now, Taylor’s story serves as a harsh reminder that darts’ grandest stage offers no immunity – only scrutiny. One moment you are standing beneath the lights, dreaming forward. The next, you are watching the door close, knowing you may have shut it yourself.
—–ENDS—–
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